Looking Back

Highlights of 2011

What a year!  Just reminiscing on some of my favorite happenings..

I always love the beach :)

Thirteen consecutive weeks of going on one date every week, asking the boy out for all but 3 of those dates.

Making kites with Matt

Made some of my best friends, Team 113: 

Danie, Yandhi, Rachel and Taylor

Met and ate dinner with Matt the Meese

Turned 21-- and still no alcohol ;)

Birthday Dinner

Ran most mornings for a few months straight.

Before my first 5K

Sara graduated!

First time holding hands.  First kiss.  First boyfriend.  First break-up.
(About time for all of those, I think!)

Eating at Porter's Place

Watched many of my good friends leave on full-time missions: 

Clay, Ashley, Erika, Conrad, Christine, Matt, Nate, and Mikey.

My sister came to BYU, too, and my parents came to visit us in Utah.

Saw Taylor Swift in concert!

Got on academic warning with a 1.8 GPA.
Got off academic warning with a 3.8 GPA.

Dominated my dreaded Econ 110 class with an A.

Lost a total of 40 lbs!

The Power of Scripture

In October General Conference, Elder Scott gave a message called, "The Power of Scripture."  It wasn't one of the talks that immediately impressed me at the time.  I've never really liked memorizing scriptures, probably because I didn't think I was good at it.  But over the last few months I found myself increasingly turning to the scriptures for comfort and strength.  Then I recently went back and re-read Elder Scott's talk.  I realized that I had discovered the truth of his words for myself.  When we memorize scriptures, they truly become friends that we can call upon at any time.

As Elder Scott says, "They can become stalwart friends that are not limited by geography or calendar.  They are always available when needed."

"Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world."

"To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship.  It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change."

"Pondering a passage of scripture can be a key to unlock revelation and the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost."

"Scriptures... have the power to heal emotional challenges when there is faith in the Savior."

There are so many verses that I've gone back to over and over again to find peace and direction.  Sometimes it was a very familiar scripture that took on new power or meaning.  There were also completely new scriptures that I discovered.  I've written them down and I keep them where I can see them often (like the desktop of my computer).

I know God will speak directly to us through the scriptures if we listen to the Spirit.  It's been an amazing and wonderful to experience it for myself.  I love this gospel!

My Road Through Hell

I take my inspiration today from a favorite blog of mine, Single Dad Laughing.  This week he re-posted one of his previous posts.  It's called The Thousand Roads Through Hell.  It's good stuff if you're interested in reading it.

If not, I'll share here some of the things he said which were most meaningful to me, though it really is better if you read his whole post. :)

"Hell is different for everyone, and everyone must walk through it from time to time. Thank God for that...

"And, how many times have I been overwhelmed with gratitude for the desperation that resulted from it all? Thousands. Maybe tens of thousands….

"You see, every single noteworthy or remarkable thing I have achieved or done as an adult has been directly related to the moments when I was finally able to let go of that dark past and heal myself. Without all of it, I would be a weak excuse for a man...

"I really do believe I was lucky. Fate was smiling on this lump of a man as it dragged me bloody behind its speeding carriage...

"At the end of every road you will reach the edge of hell. When you take that last step from the darkness, the most beautiful things you could possibly imagine will be there...

"What we can choose is to keep walking. We can choose to look at the flames in front of us and maneuver our way through them. We can move forward with blind faith that there is always something good at the end of our road...

"Choose one road, any road, and start running. Run full speed and do not stop. Do not look back. Do not worry that you have made a wrong choice.  

"The future will seem uncertain. It will seem unsafe. But you have to keep running. You must run until turning back is impossible. Only then will you see the beauty that sits on the horizon."

------------------

After my break up, I found myself in my own personal hell, faced with the choice of what I was going to do about it.  At first, I tried as hard as I could to avoid the pain.  I thought I was the exception, that I could be different.  I kept starting down one road, finding that it was hard, and turning back.  Trying to find the easiest way.  But I only kept hurting and hurting over and over.  I didn't realize then that the only way out of hell is through it. 

One day, after another painful, failed attempt to take the easy way out, I finally accepted the fact that I would have to get through it the hard way, like everyone else.  So I got on my path and started running as hard as I could.  I'll admit that I still turned back and couple of times, and every time I was singed by the waiting flames.  But each time that happened it gave me the motivation to keep moving forward.

But the strangest thing I've discovered through it all is that I have never felt closer to heaven than when I was going through hell.  Something bigger than me got me out of bed every day; gave me the strength to go to school and work; helped me focus on my studies; sent me the right people exactly when I needed them; and, most importantly, gave me the courage to forgive so that I could let go.

"My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom."
(Doctrine and Covenants 136:31)

God doesn't give us anything that we can't handle-- with his help.  And he is there to help.  Waiting, with open arms for us to accept his help.

"During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, 
it was then that I carried you."

(Carolyn Carty, Footprints)

That is what I am most grateful for this Thanksgiving.  A loving Heavenly Father and the reality of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Two Sleepless Nights

[Unfortunately, I was editing this post and accidentally deleted the original content.  I've re-posted it with what I can remember from before.]

I have debated and debated and debated again with myself whether or not to make this post.  I was afraid it would make me too vulnerable.  I was afraid people wouldn't appreciate it as much as I did.  I usually don't like the idea of posting something that's so emotionally significant to me.  But I want to share it and sometimes it feels like I need to share it.

I have recently been through my first break up.  Just a week and a half prior to breaking up with me, he kissed me for the first time.  As a result of these two events, I experienced in rather quick succession two very different sleepless nights.  The idea intrigued me, and that idea of "two sleepless nights" kept coming back to me.  I finally sat down and put my thoughts and feelings down in a poem.

And somehow, it helped.  It helped me sort my feelings out and put them into a lyrical form that expressed them almost exactly how I felt them, and gave me a way to confront them more directly.

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.  No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before... Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment... One of the ways we find [eternal happiness] is by creating things."

~President Uchtdorf

And so, this is the result of that creation.

Two Sleepless Nights

The first one, I must admit, occured

When cetain wonderful feelings were stirred

By a kiss on the lips, my first one received!

I was thrilled with the prospect I'd finally achieved.

The long-'waited moment had suddenly come,

And there I stood shaking; I'd finally won!

Did it mean what I hoped?  He seemed so sincere.

I trusted him fully, left no room for fear.

That first sleepless night I spent in a daze.

Mind spinning and buzzing, it passed in a haze.

I arose the next day, wondered if it was real,

And much to my pleasure, things continued ideal.

The second of two happened several days later.

We went for a walk, I suspected no traitor.

I talked for an hour, he gave me no sign,

That we were approaching the finishing line.

At the words that he spoke, "Our timing is off.

I just want to be friends," I wanted to scoff!

To him, all I'd given still wasn't enough...

But at least I could finally see through his bluff.

That last sleepless night I spent in a daze.

Mind spinning and buzzing, it passed in a haze.

I arose the next day, wished it wouldn't be real,

But I knew in my heart, I knew, I would heal.

Luau, Taylor leaves, and Bridal Veil Falls

I can't believe it's been that long since I last blogged, but it has!  Lots has happened since then, so I'll do a (somewhat) quick update.

I went to a Luau with my roommate, Lynn on Aug 5.  It was really awesome.  We envied the way all the girls could move their hips, drooled over the males dancers, and were wowed by the fire knife dancer.

Fire!

Roomies

Guys in skirts... surprisingly attractive

See above :)

The night after that I watched the final installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Return of the King.  I think that I need to re-watch all of them now and pay better attention.  Extended versions maybe?? :)

The next afternoon I went to dinner at the Vanfleets (our family friends in town; my "BYU Family"), and Evan came as well.  They wanted to get to know him better, and it went well.  They always serve a delicious dinner, and I love their family!  They're so much fun!

The following week my friend, Erika, got her mission call to Poland.  It was an interesting week for her, as she got hit by a truck on her bike the previous weekend.  She was miraculously protected from any major injury, and was able to walk away minimal injuries.  I guess that she is really needed on her mission in Poland!

After the mission call opening, some friends and I went to the duck pond, then to Wendy's, and tehn watched The Count of Monte Cristo.  I'd never seen the movie before, but I loved the book when I read it in high school.  Reminded me of how excellent a story it is.

The next night was a sad one for me and a lot of my good friends.  Taylor, one of those good friends, was leaving us to go home for a few weeks before she moved to Idaho to attend BYU-I there.  We spent the night at a Relief Society closing social, and then Evan worked on Taylor's car for a while to make sure it was ok to drive to Salt Lake.  

Eating tons of otter pops the night before she left...

Later that night, when she was safely on her way, he and I drove up to the Provo temple and climbed up the hill behind it and sat talking for a while.  I love having a temple so close!

Friday night was date night up at Evan's parents' house.  Evan's car needed to be washed, so we did that as our activity, and then had dinner with his parents.  We came back to his apartment and watched an episode of Psych, then watched Toy Story 3 which Evan had never seen.  I love that movie!  I had a great night with Evan, too. :)

On the following Monday, Evan had the day off so when I got off my morning shift he and I went for a hike up Bridal Veil Falls.  It was lots of fun, and the first time I've done it.  We got pretty darn soaked, especially my shoes, but had a lot of fun doing it!

Stinker.

Hard to see, but he's can be cute when he wants to

After climbing up to the falls

Standing in the mist

From the bottom after our hike

We went home and changed clothes, then went out to eat at Red Robin.  It was my first time eating there, and I really enjoyed it!  We got fancy lemonades and limeades to drink, and delicious burgers, and best of all, SWEET POTATO FRIES!!  Yum!  That night we watched Mall Cop for FHE.  It's one of Evan's favorites.  Reminded me of the stupid humor of Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre that I so love. :)

The rest of the week was full of work, and there wasn't time for much else.

Cemeteries, Dutch Ovens, Dinos, and Bonfires

I've been on quite a few fun dates and activities lately, and thought I'd share a little of what's been going on.

Last Thursday was our ward closing social.  We met at our bishop's house and had dinner made by the first counselor in our bishopric-- he's a Dutch oven competition cook, always wins, and his stuff is delicious!  We jumped on the trampoline and swung on the swings and played a few games.  When it got dark, they showed Tangled on a projector in the backyard.  It was so much fun to spend time with everyone and have one last hurrah before the semester ends in a couple weeks.

Me and Taylor eating dinner

Me and Evan in the background... 

except you can't see his face because he put his foot up

And our good friend Erika making the silly face :)

Last Friday night, Evan took me to the Provo Cemetery to just walk around and talk.  I love cemeteries for some unexplainable reason (I discovered this love for cemeteries when I went to Arlington National Cemetery a few summers ago), so he took me because he thought I'd enjoy it, and I did!  We looked at all the cool gravestones, looking for the oldest one we could find.  I think the oldest one we found was one from the 1850s (Provo was founded in 1849).  Crazy!  They have little plaques on all the original pioneers' graves, which were also cool to see.  I think I like cemeteries because they are so peaceful and give you opportunity to think about life.  I had a few moments where I got close to tears when we were walking through the area they have dedicated to infant graves.  I just felt the overwhelming grief of the parents at losing their babies, mostly because of the sweet messages left on their gravestones.  We also got barked at by the cemetery caretaker's dogs.  It was really an unusual date, but a great one nonetheless. :)

Monday night, Evan invited me to go with him to a family get-together.  They own some land up in the mountains in Eagle Mountain (they call it West Canyon) and every once in a while they go up there and have dinner together.  I got to meet his parents, grandparents, and all of his siblings and their spouses and kids.  I really had a great time and enjoyed their company.  The food was great: Dutch oven chicken, ribs, and cobbler made by his mom, broccoli salad, potato salad, and homemade rolls.  Evan took me for a ride on their four-wheeler and teased me by almost driving straight through a mud puddle.  Then they got a fire going and we all sat around it and they played guitars and sang campfire songs.  It was awesome!  Evan and I got a little bit of teasing for cuddling next to the fire, but they're not half as bad at the teasing as our friends are.

Tuesday night, we doubled with my friend Taylor who is dating Evan's roommate Jordan.  We went to American Fork for dinner at Chick-fil-a and then went to the dinosaur museum up at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi.  We only had about 40 minutes in the museum, but it was lots of fun anyway, and we got some fun pictures.  After they kicked us out, we ended up going to a nearby park to swing on the swings and talk, then laid in the soft grass looking at the stars.  It was a nice, low-pressure, fun date, and I had a really good time!

 Me, Evan, Taylor and Jordan

Me and Evan.

(The dinosaur in the back makes me think of Night at the Museum lol)

Me standing under a huge dinosaur

Can you imagine being around one of these things when it was alive??

 

Thursday night, we got a bunch of friends together for a bonfire before Taylor leaves for BYU-Idaho.  We got a great group of friends together and went to Evan's grandparents' house in Lehi where they have a bonfire pit in their backyard.  Evan got a great fire going almost immediately and we roasted hot dogs, marshmallows and Starburst (yes, Starburst... so good!), and made s'mores.  We stayed there for a couple hours, laughing and talking and having a great time with good friends.  I'm going to miss these guys when they all leave in the fall!

Evan's fire-building skills

Lincoln longs anyone?

Tay and Jordan not looking

Making faces

Jason trying to keep the mosquitoes away by standing in the smoke

Friends

I have so many great friends!!  Here are a couple things that have happened recently.

I've been saying goodbye to a lot of good friends who've left on missions the last few weeks.

First, my very best friend Ashley left several weeks ago, and I miss her like crazy.  But she will be a great missionary, will kick butt at learning Romanian, and I am already loving reading her emails and letters!

Becca, me, Ashley, and Ali the night Ashley got her call

My friend, Conrad, also left the same week.  I keep missing him randomly every few days when something reminds me of him.  But it's great to get his letters, too, and I know he is just loving the MTC and learning Russian.

Conrad and me a couple months ago at a party

Then, my brother-from-another-mother, Clay, left on his mission a couple weeks ago.  I have only gotten one letter from him, but it was nice to hear from him.  Hopefully he'll keep up the communication so I don't totally lose track of him for two years.  I think he's doing well (haven't heard otherwise).

Saying goodbye at Danielle's wedding

An old friend, DaNae, is leaving on her mission tomorrow.  I got to hang out with her for lunch one day recently when she was in town, which was nice to take time to catch up and say goodbye.  She's going to Morristown, New Jersey, Spanish speaking.  I hope she has a great time!

After eating at our favorite haunt... J Dawg's!

A couple Sundays ago I went up to Salt Lake to have dinner with a bunch of friends.  I love these guys!  We had a great time and it was so fun.

Top: Ruben, Rachel, Danie, Taylor, Yandhi, Jake

Bottom: Evan (yes, that Evan), me, Sara

On our way home, we stopped by Temple Square so that Sara and Ruben could have a look.  I went with them and we got some great pictures:

Also, I've become pretty good friends with my roommate Lynn (which has been very nice, considering the past frustrations I've had with roommates).  We've started having "roommate dates" every Saturday where we go get Panda Express and eat it at the duck pond.

And don't forget that one day it was raining and me and my friends danced in the rain and splashed in the puddles and then jumped in the pool in our clothes...

Ruben, Taylor, me, and Lynn

 Danie, Taylor, me and Lynn

Life is great!!

All That Dating Finally Paid Off...

Well, I've been trying to keep this on the down-low up until now (at least on my blog), but I think it's finally reached a point where I can share it safely.

It's official:  I have my first boyfriend!

Some of you know about him from me already, but the long story short for the rest of you is this:

-His name is Evan, he's 22 and from Lehi, UT.
-He was my home teacher last fall and winter semesters.
-Our first date was the last weekend of January (as part of my 13 week dating streak).  We made tie-dye shirts for each other, which we both still wear.
-He's been my running buddy since the beginning of March.  We've been slacking lately, but for a while we ran just about every day.
-I kissed him (my first kiss EVER) the night before I flew home to Florida.  He was very surprised, to say the least.
-When I got back from Florida, we started going on more dates and spending more time together to see how it went.
-He held my hand for the first time while we watched The Fellowship of the Ring.  Mind you, we weren't even sitting on the same couch.  That takes skills.
-My favorite place to go with him is Squaw Peak.  (But not for the reason most people go there.)  I love the view of the valley up there at night.  I don't know that I'll ever get used to the view from the mountains.
-He has yet to kiss me, but that's totally fine with me.
-We've started reading Believing Christ together some nights.
-We also like to watch episodes of Psych with his roommates.
-And we always stay up way too late together.  Both of us have been sleep deprived for weeks. :)

That's a pretty good description of our relationship, I think.

Also, I just realized that I don't really have any pictures with him, so I will try to rectify that soon!

In the meantime, here's a silly picture of him:

 (He's making that face because I was forcing/convincing him to try a maple doughnut with bacon strips on top.  It's really delicious, he just doesn't think so.)

Back in Utah

On the plane from Phoenix to Salt Lake

A lot of stuff has happened since I've been back in Utah, and it's only been 2 weeks!

I got a new calling... the first Sunday I got back.  I was called as the new Relief Society president for my singles' ward.  It's definitely been an overwhelming experience so far, but I think once I get used to my new responsibilities that things will seem much more manageable.  It's also nice that the ward is small right now because it's summer term, so I get to practice in a smaller setting before the deluge of new students in the fall.  It's going to be a great experience!

Sara started classes... just 2 days after we got in town.  Luckily, she has her friend Christina out here with her, too, so they've been spending a lot of time together navigating campus and figuring things out for classes and such.  I know it's a lot for her to be experiencing at once, but I think she's really enjoying it so far.  Most everyone she's met in our ward likes her a lot, so she already has a lot of friends, whether she realizes it or not.  It's cool to watch how much she's grown just the last 2 weeks.  She's learning a lot more about life and being independent, which is really good for her.  I think she's going to love BYU!

Work, work, and more work... I'm not taking classes this term (thank goodness!!), so I've been working upwards of 30 hours a week which is really great for the money, but doesn't leave me with as much time to spend with Sara or my other friends as I would like.  But, I can't complain.  I have a great job and work with great people.  What's not to like?

Lehi Rodeo... The weekend after I got back, we had a tri-ward activity to go to the Lehi Rodeo.  The wards did a BBQ before it started and then we walked over to the rodeo grounds.  It was pretty cool to watch the rodeo. I've only been to one rodeo before, but I don't remember much from it, so it was fun to actually pay attention to what was going on.  My favorite part was when they had the motor cross bikes come out into the arena and do flips and tricks off a ramp.  It was quite thrilling.  After the rodeo, there was a YSA dance at a chapel parking lot down the road.  We went to check it out and I ended up staying with some of my friends until 1am.  It was a pretty lame dance music-wise, but still fun to spend time with friends.

Missionaries... Also, this last Wednesday I said goodbye to two of my good friends who entered the MTC.  One of them, Ashley, is one of my best friends who I met in my freshman ward and we've been really close since then.  She is going to Romania and I am so excited for her!  I'm very, VERY sad to see her go, but it will be fun to write her and hear about all her adventures.  The other one is a guy from my ward last year named Conrad.  He's my friend Taylor's older brother, and he and I got to know each other pretty well in winter semester.  He's such a great guy, and I'm so glad he's serving a mission!  He's going to Russia (brrrr!) and it will be really fun to hear from him, too!  I LOVE missionaries!!

My mom is in town... and it's been really fun having her here!  She hasn't been out for 5 or 6 years, so she's having a great time visiting places she used to live and seeing old friends.  She's getting to meet my friends, too, which I think is a lot of fun.  I've had to work a lot most of the days since she's been here, but we hang out whenever I'm not at work.  Speaking of, tonight we're going to watch STADIUM OF FIRE together and we are so excited!  Stay tuned for pictures from that!

What can you do with a month in Florida?

Midway through May, I went home to Florida to visit for a month.  It was really nice to be home, see old friends, and spend time with family.  The visit was also a milestone of sorts, because when I came back to Utah, I brought Sara out with me, which makes my parents officially empty-nesters now.

Florida
I love the Florida heat and humidity.  It's the familiarity and how it makes me feel at home.  I love walking outside into that tangible wall of heat every time.  :)  Call me crazy!  One thing that I realized I don't miss much about Florida is how many bugs there are.  I guess I never realized it before, but I've grown accustomed to hardly ever seeing bugs in Utah and never getting bitten by anything.  I got home and every day I had new spots on my skin from the fresh round of bugs that I happened to encounter that day.  Yup, I definitely don't miss that about Florida.

Dances
Sara and I attended a few LDS dances the first weekend I was home.  There was a tri-stake YSA dance on Friday night that we went to.  It was Sara's first YSA dance, and one of the few I've ever attended.  It was pretty typical, and fairly boring, too.  To top it off, my parents were coming home from the temple that night and they stopped by to spy on us.  Too bad there were no interesting boys for us to have been caught flirting with. :)

Cocoa Beach
On Memorial Day, my mom and Sara and I went to Cocoa Beach.  Unfortunately, there was a "dangerous marine life" warning because of all the jellyfish in the water.  They were strewn across the beach as well, which made even walking along the shore slightly treacherous.  Because we couldn't get in the water, we walked along it anyway, taking pictures of the jellies and even getting brave enough to pick some of them up (by the tops of course). 

Lots of jellyfish!

Sara and me

Dentist
I had a couple dentist appointments while I was home.  I hadn't been to our family dentist for 3 years, so I guess it wasn't too surprising that I had some cavities to fill.  Turns out, I had cavities in 3 different teeth, and each tooth had more than one cavity for a total of 7 or 8.  I returned a week after my initial check-up to get them filled.  They numbed me up and drilled away at my teeth for an hour or so.  Now I have some shiny new teeth!  I had a hilariously crooked smile afterward because no matter how hard I tried, my lips would not move the way they should!  Anyway,  I was glad to get that over with so I don't have to worry about it at school.

Sara's Graduation
Sara graduated from high school on June 6!!  It was cool for me to attend graduation and experience it all from the viewpoint of a spectator instead of a participant.  I really could have done without all the speeches, though.  Why does our culture think it's necessary to always have speakers at events like that?  Why not just get on with the fun stuff that everyone actually came for, huh?  Anyway, I'm really proud of Sara for getting through high school (I know how tough it is), and proud of her getting AP Honors through it all, as well as participating in marching band!  Now it's time for college and all the new adventures there!

Family before graduation

Sara's Wisdom Teeth
In preparation for college, Sara had to get her wisdom teeth out.  I think that two of them were impacted, which might have made for some complications in the surgery, but luckily, all went well.  Better than well, actually.  She had a miraculously fast and easy recovery (she ate pizza the night after the surgery), which was a blessing because it allowed her to better enjoy the last week of her summer in Florida.  I got to play nurse for her the first couple days, waking her up every hour to change gauze, get new ice packs, drink some fluids, and sometimes take meds.  It was definitely an interesting experience because I realized that I'm more business-like than lovey-dovey in my patient care, so it's probably a good thing I didn't go into nursing... :)

Sara's Grad Party
Two nights after getting her wisdom teeth out, we threw a graduation party for Sara at our house.  There was lots of food, good friends, and swimming, too!  It was good to get to see and spend time with everyone who came.  We even got to watch a video my mom made with pictures and old home videos of Sara growing up.  So cute!  (From the vids, we realized that I use to be a major brat, show-off, and attention-hog sometimes. Yikes!)

Sara, Amanda, and me at the grad party

My little buddy Camden at the grad party

Siesta Key
To celebrate (or mourn, in our parents' case) Sara's last week at home before college, we took a family vacation to our favorite beach spot on Crescent Beach in Siesta Key.  It is SO beautiful.  We stayed for 4 nights (new record for length of stay at one place for our family) and it was wonderful.  We tried out some new restaurants, including a shady-looking place called Munchies 420 that had 'POTatoes' on their menu (figure that one out? It took us until after we'd left), and also an Amish restaurant with fried chicken the size of moobs (man-boobs) and scores of homemade pies.  But most of our time was spent on the beach, soaking up as much sun as possible before we had to live in Utah for the next 6 months.  Overall, it was a very successful, albeit low-key vacation.  Not to mention, Siesta Key was rated the #1 beach in the nation this year.  I highly recommend it!!

Moob-sized fried chicken

Mommy and me at the beach (and very burned)!

Kim's Birthday
My BFF from high school, Kim Johnson, had her birthday the last week I was home.  Though I missed the actual day of the celebration, I was able to take her out to lunch at the end of the week and spend sometime catching up.  We've been apart too long and we miss each other too much now!  But the funny thing is, we pick up conversation like we've never been apart.  We spent forever just chatting away at Pei Wei, probably annoying the heck out of the employees who wished we would just leave already.  :)  Happy birthday Kim!!

Danielle's Wedding
We got to attend Danielle Machado's wedding reception the night before we flew out to Utah.  She was, of course, stunning and her dress was gorgeous.  She was just glowing, though I'm sure exhausted.  The cultural hall at the stake center was decorated all cute, Dad was DJing the music, and there were lots of old friends to visit with.  Chris Raskey had just gotten home from his mission 2 days earlier, so I got to see him for the first time there and it was so fun!  He's exactly the same old Chris I knew in high school. (For some reason, I expect them to come back from their missions completely different.  Nope!)  It was fun to dance and talk with him.  It was perfect that most of our ward was at the reception, because then Sara and I got to say goodbye to everyone one last time before we left.  Of course, that also means that it turned into a cry-fest, what between Sara and her friends and Mom and Lorraine tearing up over losing us.  Anyway, the reception was a lot of fun with all the usual festivities, ending with sneaking out to decorate the couple's car and then sending them off amid a crowd of sparkler-bearing guests.  It's so weird to think that she and I are so close in age, and yet we are in such different stages of life now.  I'm so happy for her!  I love weddings-- even if they do make me wish I were get married myself!

About to smash cake in face...

Danielle and me!

The last time a lot of us will be together... :(

Saying goodbye to Clay who leaves on his mission soon...

Car decorations

Getting to see Chris again after about 3 years!

Me and mommy! <3

Same old Chris... :)

Last time we'll all be together for 2 years

Kind of a bittersweet vacation to tell you the truth.  So many goodbyes, but lots of happy reunions, too. 

Life is good.  Real good.  :)